Tray



y 3, 1952 R. D. HANSEN 2,602,310

TRAY

Filed March 22, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. ROY DAHL HANSEN W/ZQW A T TORNEV.

July 8, 1952 R HANSEN 2,602,310

TRAY

Filed March 22, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR J Ror- DAHL HANSEN m J u B 7 AT TORNEVv Patented July 8, 1952 UN- TED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 2,602,310 I TRAY I Roy DahlHansen, Alameda, Calif.

' Application March 22, 1946, Serial No. 656,451

This invention relates to trays, and moreparticularly to novel improvements .in serving'tray's.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel serving tray, adapted to hold and restrain a stem-type drinking glass, or the like, from unwanted movement. A further object is to provide a tray of the above mentioned type, having a clip membera'dapted to allow convenient, facile removal and redeposit of a stemtype glass.

Further objects are to provide a novel serving tray equipped with means .to grip removably a stem-type glass, or the like, which is attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and simple and utilitarian in design; to provide a novel tray for cocktail glasses, or the like, for use as a coaster, ash receptacle and/or hors doeuvre tray; to provide a novel tray of the class mentioned equipped with a removable stemtype, glass-gripping member; and to provide a tray of the class described which is easy to clean and polish. Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reference to the specification and drawings.

In the drawings, similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a tray embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. 1

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the invention, with the clip member illustrated removed from the tray.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention, showing a stem-type glass in broken lines.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the modification of Fig. 5 partly broken away.

Fig. 7 is a top, plan view of a further modification of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view, taken on line 6--8 of Fig. 7.

2 Claims. (CI. 65-53) Fig. 9 is a sectional view, taken on line 9-9 I of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a top, plan view of a still further modification of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view, taken on, line Hll of Fig. 10.

The invention is herein illustrated in Fig. 1 with an individual serving tray, generally indicated at 2, provided with a partitioned ash receptacle portion 3, sandwich containing portion 4,

and a glass containing depression 5. The partitioned parts above'named may be formed in a metal or plastic blank by means of stamping, or the like. The tray is formed with outward horizontally projecting side edges 6. A clip member, generally indicated at l, is formed of ya preferably resilient material and comprises a substantially V-shaped, glass-engaging portion composed of diverging finger elements 9 which overlie the floor of glass-containing depression 5 and a substantially U-shaped clamp portion 10* adapted re-. movably resiliently to grip an edge 6 of the tray 2. A relatively shallow groove i I, which in width approximates the width. of the clip I, may be formed in the tray edge 6 to restrain the clip from unwanted movement relative to the tray.

Reference is bad to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, inclusive, which illustrate a stem-type glass, indicated generally at A, which is slipped under the glass-engaging portion between finger elements 9 formed by slitting clip member I, the slit being open at the end of said clip member opposite said Ushaped clamp portion, and the foot [2 of the glass is thereby'removably clamped against the floor of the tray by the resilient clip. It is noted that member I may be slidably disengaged from the tray in order to allow convenient cleaning of the tray or to allow the depression 5 to be utilized for a purpose other than holding a stemtype glass.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modification of the invention, wherein the clip member 1 is the same as previously described except that it is provided with a slit to form to a substantially V-shaped, glass-engaging portion 2! formed of resilient, material bowed upwardly, as at 22. In the modification of Figs. 5 and 6 the bowed clip supplants the glass-containing depression 5 provided in the tray of Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. The bowed clip member, having the glass-engaging portion 2| thereof spaced upwardly from the flat tray surface 23, compensates for varying thicknesses and diameters of the feet of varying types of glasses.

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 illustrate another modification of the invention, wherein a blank of metal, or the like, is stamped or otherwise formed to provide a depression 3i having a floor strip 32 for the reception of the foot of a glass and foot-engaging portion 33. The foot engaging portion 33 is provided with a slit to form spaced fingers adapted to hold the base of a stem type glass in place against the tray. The foot of a glass is slid under portions 33 and is held in position against the floor portion 32.

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a still further modifi- 3 cation of the invention which is similar to that disclosed in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, except that the floor 35 is continuous under the foot-engaging portions 36, formed in the same manner as described with reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9.

While I have described my invention in more or less specific detail for purposes of clarit of illustration and example, it is understood that various changes, variations and modifications may be practiced within the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a serving tray arranged to hold a footed and stemmed glass, and a clip to retain said glass on said tray, said tray being provided with a depression formed in the surface thereof substantially larger than said glass, said depression being spaced inwardly from an edge of said tray, said tray also being provided with a clip retaining groove extending inwardly from said edge to said depression, said groove having a depth less than that of said depression, said groove adjoining and communicating with said depression, said clip being arranged to slip over said edge and being held against sideward displacement by said groove, said clip having a short first arm, an elongated second arm substantially parallel to said first arm and a connecting portion, said arms being spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the thickness of said tray at said groove, said second arm being provided with an inwardly-extending V-shaped slit at the end opposite said connecting portion, said slit being open to receive the stem of said glass and said second arm being arranged to extend out and overlie part of said depression and to clamp the foot of said glass against said tray.

4 2. The combination of claim 1 in which said depression is semi-circular at each end with straight-sided, parallel connecting edges, the end remote from said edge of said tray being disposed beyond the end of said second arm.

ROY DAHL HANSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 369,663 Swaney Sept. 6, 1887 374,715 Sullivan Dec. 13, 1887 556,200 McDonald Mar. 10, 1896 774,479 Lange Nov. 8, 1904 817,148 Allen Apr. 10, 1906 938,082 Siegel Oct. 26, 1909 1,151,923 Blackwell Aug. 31, 1915 1,159,673 Holybee Nov. 9, 1915 1,637,564 Gillette Aug. 2, 1927 1,885,483 Samuelson Nov. 1, 1932 1,925,540 Neuschotz Sept. 5, 1933 1,990,372 Cole Feb. 5, 1935 1,996,856 Crane Apr. 9, 1935 2,042,801 Pittman June 2, 1936 2,237,361 Poynter Apr. 8, 1941 2,309,851 Kuhne Feb. 2, 1943 2,398,060 Van Alstyne Apr. 9, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 241,105 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1925 254,533 Great Britain July 8, 1926 500,752 Great Britain Feb. 15, 1939 

